The Life and Death of Richard Yea-and-NayHewlett, Maurice
General
The Life and Death of Richard Yea-and-Nay
Hewlett, Maurice
Richard I, King of England, 1157-1199 -- Fiction
Now for affairs. The meeting of the Kings was cordial, or seemed so.
King Philip came out of his pavilion to meet his royal brother, and
Richard, kissing him, asked him how he did. 'Very vilely, Richard,' said
the young man. 'I think there is a sword in my head. The glaring sun
flattens me by day, and all night I shiver.'
'Fever, my poor coz,' said Richard, with a kind hand upon his shoulder.
Philip burst out with his symptoms, wailing like a child: 'The devil
bites me. I vomit black. My skin is as dry as a snake's. Yesterday they
bled me three ounces.' Richard walked back with him among the tents,
conversing cheerfully, and for a few days held his old ascendancy over
Philip; but only for a few. Other of the leaders he saw: some gave him
no welcome. The Marquess of Montferrat kept his quarters, the Duke of
Burgundy was in bed. The Archduke of Austria, Luitpold, a hairy man with
light red eyelashes, professed great civility; but Richard had a bad way
with strangers. Not being receptive, he took no pains to pretend that he
was. The Archduke made long speeches, Richard short replies; the
Archduke made longer speeches, Richard no replies. Then the Archduke
grew very red, and Richard nearly yawned. This was at the English King's
formal reception by the leaders of the Crusade. With the Grand Master of
the Temple he got on better, liking the looks of the man. He did not
observe Saint-Pol on King Philip's left hand; but there he was, flushed,
excited, and tensely observant of his enemy. That same night, when they
held a council of war, there was seen a smoulder of that fire which you
might have decently supposed put out. King Philip came down in a mighty
hurry, and sat himself in the throne; Montferrat, Burgundy, and others
of that faction serried round about him. The English and Angevin chiefs
were furious, and the Archduke halted between two opinions. By the time
(lateish) when King Richard was announced Gaston of Béarn and young
Saint-Pol had their swords half out. But Richard came and stood in the
doorway, a magnificent leisurely figure. All his party rose up. Richard
waited, watching. The Archduke (who really had not seen him before) rose
with apologies; then the French followed suit, singly, one here and one
there. There only remained seated King Philip and the Marquess of
Montferrat. Still Richard waited by the door; presently, in a quiet
voice, he said to the usher, 'Take your wand, usher, to that paralytic
over there. Tell him that he shall use it, or I will.' The message was
delivered: at an angry nod from King Philip the Marquess got darkly up,
and Richard came into the hall with King Guy of Jerusalem. These two sat
down one on each side of France; and so the council began.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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